Mixing ventilation can reduce energy costs

The article provides information on a study on the potential of mixing ventilation in reducing energy costs in buildings such as theaters and schools. The study found that neither Manchester’s Contact Theatre and the Garrick Theatre in Lichfield in England is operating according to the displacement-ventilation principle upon which they were designed. Hybrid mixing ventilation has an important impact on both the ventilation rate and the thermal comfort of the theatres.

Towards measuring the impact of information availability on maintenance decisions

Decisions concerning maintenance have become increasingly important and requires a diverse set of information as systems become more complex. The availability of information has an impact on the effectiveness of these decisions, and thus on the performance of the asset. This paper highlights the importance of quantifying the value of information on maintenance decisions and asset performance. In particular, we emphasise the need to focus on measuring value as opposed to cost of maintenance, which is the current practice. In this direction, we propose a measure - Value of Ownership (VOO) - to assess the value of information and performance of maintenance decisions throughout an assets lifecycle. © 2009 IFAC.

Methods for Measuring Aggregate Costs of Conflict

This paper reviews the methods for measuring the economic cost of conflict. Estimating the economic costs of conflict requires a counterfactual calculation, which makes this a very difficult task. Social researchers have resorted to different estimation methods depending on the particular effect in question. The method used in each case depends on the units being analyzed (firms, sectors, regions or countries), the outcome variable under study (aggregate output, market valuation of firms, market shares, etc.) and data availability (a single cross-section, time series or panel data). This paper reviews existing methods used in the literature to assess the economic impact of conflict: cost accounting, cross-section methods, time series methods, panel data methods, gravity models, event studies, natural experiments and comparative case studies. The paper ends with a discussion of cost estimates and directions for further research.

Dynamic Inefficiency in an Overlapping Generation Economy with Pollution and Health Costs

Revised 2008-08.-- Published as an article in: Journal of Public Economic Theory (2008), 10(4), 563-594.

Broodstock collection, transport and maintenance

(4pp.)

Common Coastal Plants in Florida: a guide to planting and maintenance

(PDF has 125 pages.)